UPDATE: Altus,OK Homicide - Body Identified

Jackson County Sheriff Roger Levick said today that man whose body was discovered in a ditch Saturday (May 3) was Johnny Ray Lee Jr., 60, of Altus. Cause of death is still unknown.

Authorities are still searching for the pickup truck. (See Below)

The body of man was found in ditch south of U.S. Highway 62, southwest of Altus, OK Saturday (May 3). The body was found by an area farmer who called 911 about 9 a.m. Saturday morning. Jackson County Sheriff Roger LeVick says the death is being treated as a homicide.


Suspect Vehicle:

Red Ford F-150 pickup truck with a missing tailgate

Oklahoma License Plate JCV 565.

Anyone with information is asked to call the O.S.B.I. at 1-800-522-8017.

Sources:

Burned murder victim ID'd

Jackson County farmer discovers burned body

Man's Body Found Near Altus

OSBI Releases POI Sketch -Tammy Harjo Murder

OSBI Forensic Artist Harvey Pratt created a sketch of a person of interest using the input of several eyewitnesses. The unidentified man was seen walking up to the home of Tammy Harjo at 417 N. Bryan in Okmulgee, OK Thursday evening (May 1). Tammy Harjo, 43, was found dead 10:30 AM Friday (May 2) of blunt force trauma to her body.

If anyone recognizes the person in the sketch, or has any information regarding this crime, please, call either the OSBI hotline at 1-800-522-8017 or the Okmulgee Police Department at (918)756-3511.


Suspect Description:

American Indian, approx. 20 years old,
6 feet tall, slender build
medium complexion and short black hair

Clothing Description:

light red t-shirt
black shorts with a gray cuff
white tennis shoes

Source:

Sketch Released in Okmulgee Murder Case

Deadly Night for Club Patron - Killer and Friends at Large

Obnoxious Behavior

A 28-year-old Oxnard, CA man was leaving Loffler's Sports Bar & Grill at Regal Avenue and Mac Street with his girlfriend and three other friends. As they left at about 1:30 AM, he noticed a young man urinating in public in the presence of women. Richard (Ricardo) Zarate expressed his indignation at the man's lack of civility and hygiene, unaware that he was speaking to a homicidal maniac.

Heated words were exchanged between the two, but no reported physical confrontation occurred. Zarate and his friends then proceeded to their car, which was parked on a nearby street. The suspect was too cowardly to confront the person with an old-fashioned assault & battery. Why risk a bloody nose he could do much better from the safety of his own car? Unfortunately, the obnoxious and cowardly behavior only escalates.

Horror

The suspects vehicle veered toward the party, running Zarate over, dragging him about 75 yards. To prove that this was no accident, the car then made a U-turn on the dead end street --and ran the man over again!

The driver of the car wasn't the only heartless dirt-bag, as the woman on the passenger side grabbed the Zarate's girlfriend by the hair as they drove by. She was thrown to the ground suffering cuts and bruises. No one, save for the suspects, knew that an evening of fun would turn into a night of screams and horror. Later on in the hospital, Zarate died from his injuries.

If you know anything about this crime, please help.

Contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department at (714) 647-7000 or (949) 770-6011

Vehicle Description:

Light Brown newer model Honda Accord

"fancy" chrome wheels and tinted windows

Suspect Description:

Driver is Hispanic male in his 20s

female passenger front seat, male and female passenger back seat

License Plate begins with 1G or 1Q

If you know anything, please, help get this trash off the streets.

Toby Lee Lowry & Morgan Amanda Leppert In Custody

Morgan Amanda Leppert, 15, and Toby Lee Lowry, 22, were taken into custody about 4:30 PM by police in El Paso, TX. According to police the two were found panhandling on the side of the road with a hitchhiker. The stolen truck was about 20 yards away.

Lowry is being charged with grand theft auto and interference with the custody of a child. Texas authorities may be charging the trio with panhandling.

Source:

Missing Putnam girl, boyfriend taken into custody in Texas

Previous Post:

Nationwide Search for Missing Child & 22 Year Old Man

Massachusetts Serial Killer Suspect in Custody

Prosecutors in Worcester, MA have a "person of interest" in relation to the murders of several women in the area. Alex F. Scesny, 38, of Berlin, MA is being held on an unrelated charge of rape. Scesny has reportedly been linked via DNA evidence to the 1996 homicide of Theresa Stone, 39, in Fitchburg. He is currently being held without bond.

Scesny is being investigated in the murders of the following women:

• Betzaida Montalvo


• Carmen Rudy


• Dinelia Torres


• Wendy Morello


• Lineida Olivera

Sources and Related Articles:

Man said to be 'person of interest' in unsolved slayings

Man Suspected In Central Mass. Prostitute Murders

Smiley Face Killers - Fact or Fiction?

I have been pretty reluctant to blog about this story. I usually (not always) try to stay away from stories that get widespread attention. However, this is a story that is getting pretty high on the weird meter. I just thought I'd weigh in and share my own viewpoint.

I first heard about the story over at the ZodiacKiller.com Message Board. I followed the news stories just beginning to circulate, but I failed to see the connections that were being sold. As I've made plain before, I think speculation can be a good thing, provided there is a good foundation for it. There just didn't seem to be any foundation for this story.

You may have heard of the "Happy Face Killer, who signed his letters to the press with a smiley face. This is a completely different story. This is not a copycat type of thing. The "Smiley Face Killers" are, according to supporters of the theory, a gang of killers spread across multiple states that kill young college students. The killers dump the bodies into rivers, leaving a "smiley face" spray painted at the supposed site.

As a regular reader of the True Crime Weblog, I read Steve Huff's coverage of the story. He seems to share the same opinion and has outlined his reasons in his usual, eloquent manner. I also read many of the comments left by his readers, both pro and con. If you are interested in this story, I recommend you take a look over there.

Some have likened gang aspect of the so-called "Smiley Face" killings to the racially motivated Zebra killings of the 1970s. I fail to see the connection. The Zebra killings all occurred in the same general area. There was no ambiguity in the Zebra killings. Police knew they were homicides. There was no mistaking these crimes for accidental deaths. The killers were trying, very successfully, to strike fear and terror within the community. While the "Smiley Face" case brings a sense of fear and anxiety all its own, the cause of the fear may be owed to over-active imaginations.

One factor that should be considered is the ubiquity of the "smiley face." Is this not one of the most popular symbols, even on a global level? I don't think finding a smiley face in any place where graffiti is left would be that unusual. I bet if you went driving right now and examined bridges, walls, and road areas where teenagers are known to gather, you will find a smiley face. Since this story has hit the wires, you can bet you are only going to see an increase in such graffiti.

Can you think of any major body of water near you where a drowning hasn't occurred, even recently? Perhaps you can; I doubt it. Drowning is not that uncommon an accident. Couple that fact with the popularity of graffiti, and one could build their own urban legend.

Can anything good be gained by this idea of a serial killer network? Some of these deaths may get a little closer attention than they did initially. Maybe some truth will be discovered. If there is such a gang, they will definitely need to change their signature in order to be recognized. you can bet high school kids across the nation will be spray painting smiley faces to get their "lulz" for some time to come.

Unsolved Homicide - Brett Wolfe

I have been adding unsolved cases from 2007 to the blog, just give them an extra "bump" into the public view. The following case comes from 2006, but I'm adding it here, because, like so many unsolved homicides, it needs more attention.

On September 22, 2006 the body of Brett Wolfe was found lying face down on the floor of his Seminole, Oklahoma apartment. His hands and feet had been bound. Wolfe had been shot to death. He was discovered by his roommate that morning and police believe he had been killed only hours prior to his discovery.

There are no suspects in this case. Wolfe never saw his newborn child. His son was born a few days before Wolfe was killed. Please help solve this case.

If you have any information about this case, please either the O.S.B.I. Hotline at 1-800-522-8017 or the Seminole Police Department at (405) 382-3434.

O.S.B.I. Press Release 12/13/07

O.S.B.I. Press Release 1/17/07

Source

Source

Source

Unsolved Homicides - Jack & Elaine Denney

On Christmas of 2007, the bodies of Jack & Elaine Denney were found in their home near the border of Cherokee and Mayes counties south of Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Sometime between December 23, when they were last seen alive, and December 25, when they were discovered by their daughter, the couple had been shot to death. The victims had been shot in the head and torso.

There had been a wave of burglaries around the time of their deaths, yet investigators could find no signs of a forced entry or struggle.

Jack Denney, 65, had retired in December after 27 years as a superintendent of mechanical maintenance at the Grand River Dam Authority. Elaine Denney, 66, was a life-long homemaker who enjoyed making quilts for friends and family. The Denney's were parents and grandparents known for their generosity and enthusiasm.

This tragic case needs your attention. If you know anything, please contact the authorities at the number(s) below. The person or persons responsible for this heinous act deserve justice. I hope that it comes soon.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the murders of Jack & Elaine Denney.

If you have any information on this case, please call the OSBI hotline at
1-800-522-8017 or the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office at (918) 456-2583.

O.S.B.I Press Release

Source

Source

Unsolved Homicide - Denise Stice

The body of Denise F. Stice was discovered at approximately 9:30 a.m. on November 27, 2007. Her body was found by a church group at a park on the south side of Lake Overholser, west of the dam, a few feet from the water. The body appeared to have been deposited there to conceal evidence associated with her homicide. The state medical examiner said that Stice, 48, died of a gunshot wound to the head. There are no suspects in this slaying. Stice's vehicle was found a short time after her body was found.

Denise Stice's husband reported his wife missing when she did not show up to work at Tinker's Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center. Mrs. Stice worked there as director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Stice had worked at Tinker Air Force Base since 1999.

If you have any information about this homicide, please call Oklahoma City CrimeStoppers at (405) 235-7300.

Source: NewsOK

Business Expert's Slaying Shocks Tinker Community

Woman Remembered as Hard Worker

This is the second post in a series covering unsolved homicides of 2007.

Unsolved Homicide - Pamela Sue Purser

Pamela Sue Purser, 53, was found murdered inside her home in the 5200 block of Meridian Lane Road just after 5:00 PM in Lone Grove, OK on June 17, 2007 (Sunday). Her body was discovered by her son. She had been stabbed to death.

No forced entry was detected. Robbery was not an apparent motive. Nothing in the home appeared to have been out of place. Ms. Purser’s 2-year-old grandchild was inside the home and fortunately was not harmed. Purser had custody of the child. Agents obtained evidence from the crime scene and have interviewed several persons. There are no solid suspects in this case.

Ms. Purser formerly served as Office Secretary for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 670 in Ardmore, OK.

If you have any information on this case, please call the O.S.B.I. Hotline at 1-800-522-8017 or email the O.S.B.I. in confidentiality.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is offering up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Pamela Sue Purser’s death.

O.S.B.I. Press Release

Family Speaks Out About Mother's Murder - KXII

This is the first post in a series covering unsolved homicides of 2007.

Unsolved Murders - January 2007 to January 2008

I'd like to let readers know about some tragic unsolved cases from 2007. As usual, the focus will be on crimes that have had very little coverage in the national media or on the Internet. Please, look over the cases in the upcoming posts. If you have any information, contact the appropriate law enforcement agency. You can always contact me with any information you may have, as well.

The upcoming posts will focus on cases from my own state of Oklahoma. I will continue with future posts presenting information on some lesser known unsolved cases from throughout the country. Hopefully, someone can help out in the search for justice.

I would also like to remind family members of unsolved homicide victims that they can submit cases to CrimeShadows.com for consideration. We will add approved cases to the site free of charge.

Reminder: Two new additions to the CrimeShadows network can be found at ZodiacKillerTruth.com and ParkwayKiller.com.

I have also added new ways to comment on this blog, using services from Disqus and LineBuzz.

The CrimeShadows Message Board is growing and could use your support. If you haven't done so already, please, join and participate in the discussions. If you don't see any topics of interest, add your own! Your participation is greatly appreciated.

Stay tuned for more unsolved cases that need your attention. Thanks, Chris

July 4, 1969: The Murder of Judy Lichti

On July 4, 1969 Darlene Ferrin was shot to death by the Zodiac Killer in Vallejo, California. Her friend, Mike Mageau, was wounded. There was no apparent motive for the attack. The man responsible would make phone calls and letters claiming responsibility.

The Zodiac case, and that fateful July 4, would become infamous. Books were written and movies were made. The world was captivated by the motiveless killing. On that same night --within the same hour, another woman was killed without motive. Her husband and child were injured. This happened 300 miles away in Fresno. There were no books written. there were no movies made. But, as with the Zodiac, the killer was never captured.

CrimeShadows.com has added the case of Judy Lichti to the site. with your help, maybe this cold case can be solved.